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(No Model.)

SHUTTER PASTENER: No. 257,824. Patented May 9,1882.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets -Sheet' 2.

I. 0. MATTHIESSEN.

SHUTTER FASTENER.

Patented Ma 9, 18.82.

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FRANZ O. MATTHIESSEN, OF IRVINGTON, NEW YORK.

SHUTTER-FASTENER- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,824, dated. May 9, 1882.

' Application filed April 6, 1882. (No model.)

case of an external fire, by means capable of being opera-ted'from the outside as well as the inside of the building, so that the shutters can ordinarily be left open, thus allowing exterior access to be had to the windows for introduction of streams of water in case of fire within the building. I accomplish this object by means of vertical rods or chains supported in position between the windows and capable of being moved longitudinally, and connected with bell-crank levers so arranged with relation to the fastenings by which the shutters are held open that the longitudinal movement 5 ot' the rods or chains and consequent oscillation of the bell-crank levers detaches the fastenings from the shutters, and thus releases the shutters to the action of the springs or other instrumentalities by which they are closed.

The accompanyingdrawings, illustrating my invention, are as follows: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a window provided with self-closing shutters, representing them held open by buttons'pivoted to the wall beneath the shutters; also showing the levers forosoillating the buttons to detach them from the shutters, the

horizontal link for connecting two or more of the levers, and the vertical operating-rod, the positions assumed by the button," and levers when the shutters are released cing represented in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower parts of two shutters belonging to adjacent windows, showing a similararrangement of buttons, and levers for detaching the buttons, operated bya vertical rod placed midway between the two windows. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the upper end ot'the vertical rod, showing it affixed to the end of a weighted lever, which may be employed as a substitute for the spiral spring for the purpose of holding the vertical lever up. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of abuilding the windows of which are provided with self-closing shutters, illustrating the manner in which my invention may be applied for simultaneously detaching the fastenings which hold the shutters open. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a portion of the wall of the building, taken through the line x'x on Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the shutters A are each provided with a spring, .a, the tendency of which is to close the shutter over the window-opening.

The shutters are fastened open by the buttons B, hung upon the horizontal pivots b, which are affixed to the wall of the building near the lower edge of the shutter. The lower ends, b, of the buttons are preferably weighted to make them hang in vertical positions.

A crank-lever, O, is loosely hnn g on each of the pivots b, and is provided with a pin or other outward projection, c, which bears upon the side of the button below the pivot I), thus leaving each button free to be oscillated in one direction by hand, it desired, without any movement of the crank-lever.

Beneath the windows of each story a horizontal sway-bar, D, is suspended upon the lower ends of two or more of the crank-levers G, and serves as a link for connecting together any desired number of the crank-levers. Endwise movement is imparted to the horizontal sway-barD by means of abcll-crank lover, I), which may either be formed in one-piece with one of the crank-levers O, as shown in Fig. 1, or may be pivoted to the building between the windows and made to act upon the horizontal link D, as shown in Fig. 2.

The oscillation of the bell-crank lever is effected by the vertical operating-rod E, provided with the transverse pins E, which engage the forked or slotted ends (I of the bellcrank levers, respectively. 4

In operation, it" occasion arises for suddenly closing the shutters the vertical rod E is pulled downward, thus imparting a. horizontal endwise movement to the sway-bar I), which, by

carrying the crank-pins 0 against the sides of the buttons, swings the buttons clear of the shutters and releases the shutters to the action of the springs a, by which they are closed over the window-openings.

A chain may be employed in place of the vertical rod E, and the movement of the ver- ICO tical rod or chain in either direction, up or down, may be utilized for imparting the necessary movements ,to the sway-bars D to effeet the detachment of the buttons from the shutters of the several stories.

The drawings illustrate a simple mode of construction, in which either the spiral spring 6 or the weighted lever e is employed to counterbalance the weight of the vertical operatinga'od E and hold it up, so thatwhen required to be operated it is simply necessary to pull it down by force applied to the eye E at its lower end. The vertical alignment of the operating rod or chain E is preserved by means of the staples c, driven at intervals astride the rod into the wall of the building.

As an additional measure of security, to enable aperson within the baildin g to rapidly close the shutters, the vertical operating-rod E may be connected with a leverinsertcd through the wall, and having its free end inside the building, as shown in Fig. 5, in which case, as will be seen, a recess, F, is formed in the wall F, in which is pivoted the lever G, the outer end, 9, of which is forked and engages a pin, 0', inserted transversely through the rod E, while the inner end, G, projects inside the buildiugin position to be seized by the hand and pulled up for the purpose of pulling the operating rodEdown, and thus detaching the fastcnings from the shutters.

By this contrivance a person within the building having no immediate access to the exterior of the building will be enabled to operate the vertical rod E and close the shutters in case of an external fire.

It will of course be understood that the horizontal sway-bars I) may, if desired, be dispensed with by providing vertical operatingrods for each of the series ot'shutters which are in the same vertical alignment and arranging in connection with each fastening a bell-crank lever, I), provided with the forked or slotted end (I for engaging one of the transverse pins E, inserted through the vertical rod E.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s-

1. A series'ot self-closing window-shutters, with fastenin gs for holding open the shutters, capable of being independently oscillated by hand in one direction for the purpose of releasing the shutters, respectively, and a corresponding series of crank-levers adapted by their action to oscillate the shutter-fastenings in like manner, in combination with a series of horizontal sway-bars, each connecting two or more crank-levers together, and a correspond ing series of bell-crank levers for imparting end wise movements tothe said horizontalswaybars, respectively, and a vertically-sliding rod for oscillating the said bell-crank levers, and thercbycausin g the simultaneous oscillation of the slmtter-tasteniugs and the consequent simultaneous release of the series of shutters to the action of the springs or other instrumentalities by which they are severally closed over the window-openings.

2. A vertical rod or chain, E, capable ofcndwise movement and suitably connected with a series of bell-crankle\'e1s, 1), provided with the crank-pins c, in combination with the series of buttons B of a numberot' self-closing wimlow-shuttcrs located one above another, substantially as shown and described.

F. O. MATTHIESSEN.

Wi t nesscs M. L. ADAMs, W. G. HALSEY. 

